2006年VOA标准英语-Fresh Outbreak of Bird Flu Alarms Nigerian Offi

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
20 December 2006

Experts say a fresh outbreak of avian influenza¹ in Nigeria is more widespread than thought.  As Gilbert da Costa reports from Abuja, this has provoked fears of long-term risks.

A Nigerian boy watches birds near the farm in northern Nigeria where Africa's first case of a deadly bird flu strain was discovered

The Nigerian Veterinary Association says the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu remains² a major problem in Nigeria and warns that the country risks triggering an even bigger round of infection.
 
Veterinary Association spokesman Bala Mohammed says more states have reported new cases of the disease, in the last few weeks.

"What we considered a resurgence³ is becoming alarming. From an initial three, then 10 states, almost all the states have been having a recurrence," he said.  "That is a very serious challenge and it also calls for a review of the entire process that we adopted. In the last month, we've heard about Delta⁴ State, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River and a lot of cases in Lagos."

Nigeria and two other countries are considered the weakest link in the worldwide campaign to stem the disease.
 
John Lange heads the U.S government programs for foreign governments and international organizations to deal with avian influenza. He says Nigeria should step up its surveillance program.
 
"It is very important having the federal government working closely with state governments and local government areas to fully⁵ implement⁶ their plans on avian influenza. And, as part of that strategy is the need to undertake surveillance activities, to send veterinarians  and others to all the states of Nigeria to really verify the level of avian influenza outbreaks," he said.
 
Millions of birds have died or become infected in Nigeria since the avian flu outbreak was first detected, last February, causing severe hardship for farmers, who have had very little support from the government.
 
Veterinary officials believe widespread disaffection with the compensation system put in place by the government is keeping farmers from reporting bird deaths, making tracking of the virus more difficult.
 
Garba Sharabutu is a veterinarian and president of the Nigerian Veterinary Association.

"We had cause to disagree with the government over this compensation. The first signal that the disease, avian influenza, is on a farm is when you estimate the total loss to be more than 50 percent," he noted⁷.  "Now, when move in there and you go and pay for those animals that you were able to actually destroy, when know that the cardinal⁸ signal is that 50 percent has already died, you go and pay compensation for only 50 percent, there is going to be a problem."
 
Lange, who met several poultry⁹ farmers on his recent trip to Nigeria, acknowledges that the compensation package for farmers is a huge drawback.
 
He says it is more of an international problem.
 
"The idea that the birds will be culled¹⁰ so that there will be no more outbreaks from that particular infection and then compensating¹¹ the owners is an issue not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. In fact, at a meeting in Vienna, Austria, in June, we discussed the need for more expertise¹² on culling¹³ and compensation," he added.  "I discussed that here and, in fact, when we met yesterday with the Kaduna State Poultry Association, they were frustrated¹⁴ at the delays for receiving compensation for birds that have been culled."
 
Scientists warn that the H5N1 virus may mutate into one that is transmissible among humans, triggering a pandemic.
 
Backyard farmers are particularly at risk because of poor surveillance and greater human-to-animal contact.
 
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Association estimates that backyard poultry farmers keep 60 percent of Nigeria's 140 million poultry.
 
Mohammed says, with major Christian¹⁵ and Muslim festivities planned for the next couple of weeks, the risk of bird flu is even more acute.
 
"I look at seasons like this where you have festive¹⁶ seasons; Christmas, Sallah and New Year, as an important season when we must step up public enlightenment," he added.  "You will agree with me that these are the periods people go for these chickens and they do it all cost. Everybody must have chicken on his table. It is a very big issue in Nigeria."
 
Experts on bird flu are increasingly worried that Nigeria risks becoming a permanent host to the virus.

1 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

9 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

10 culled   

v.挑选，剔除( cull的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The herd must be culled. 必须有选择地杀掉部分牧畜。 来自辞典例句
• The facts were culled from various sources. 这些事实是从各方收集到的。 来自辞典例句

11 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

12 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

13 culling   

n.选择，大批物品中剔出劣质货v.挑选，剔除( cull的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mathematicians turned to culling periodic solutions. 数学家们转而去挑选周期解。 来自辞典例句
• It took us a week to find you, a week of culling out prejudice and hatred. 我们花了一个星期的时间找到你们，把偏见和憎恨剔除出去。 来自演讲部分

14 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。